India’s indigenous B28 bullet train has completed a vehicle body shell assessment known as the “squeeze test” at BEML’s production facility in Bengaluru, marking a significant safety milestone ahead of planned trials on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail corridor in 2027.
The test assesses whether the train’s car body can withstand heavy external pressure and forces without excessive deformation or structural failure during a collision or crash. It also examines whether the passenger compartment can maintain its structural integrity under pressure.
BEML, a central public sector undertaking, is manufacturing the first two B28 trains. Each train will comprise eight coaches. According to a BEML tender document cited in the report, the trains are designed to operate at 249 kmph and will undergo testing at speeds of up to 275 kmph.
The squeeze test is particularly important for a high-speed train because the structural performance of the car body is a key part of the safety validation process. An official quoted in the report said that, after completing the test, the prototype should ideally be ready in less than six months. The official also said the test determines whether the train body retains its shape under pressure and whether the passenger area remains structurally protected.
The B28, also referred to as Bharat 28, is being developed independently of Japanese Shinkansen technology. The train is intended for use on India’s first high-speed rail corridor, which is being built between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
The Railways plans to begin trial runs of the B28 on the 100-km Surat-Vapi section of the corridor in May or June 2027. Commercial operations on that section are scheduled to start in August 2027, according to the report.
The timing of the prototype is linked to the wider construction and approval schedule for the corridor. While seeking Cabinet approval for the escalated cost of the bullet train project, the Railway Ministry had stated that two prototype trains were expected to be ready for trial runs in the first quarter of 2027.
The ministry has also stated that the Gujarat section of the corridor is expected to be completed by December 2027. The full 508-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail corridor is targeted for completion by December 2030. The next key milestone for B28 will be completion of the prototype and its movement into trial operations on the Surat-Vapi section.
